Gateshead Carers Association has been awarded the contract for administering this Carers Wellbeing Fund by Newcastle Gateshead CCG.

It is funding which enables eligible unpaid parent carers to access a break from their caring role. A parent carer is defined as a parent who is caring for a child (aged under 18) with a disability, complex need, chronic health, a long term health condition or a substance misuser.

The award of a ‘Time for ME’ grant should lead to at least one of the following outcomes for parent carers;

An improved feeling of wellbeing

A reduction in feelings of stress

A reduction in feeling isolated

An improved sense of calm and being in control

An improved relationship with family/friends

An improved feeling of managing the caring role

The ‘Time for ME’ fund is available until end of June 2018. There is limited money available so not all applications will be successful.

How much can I apply for? The maximum grant award is £200 although some restrictions do apply (more details about what the grant can be used for is given below).

What sort of things can I apply for? A grant from the Carers Wellbeing Fund can be used for something that clearly gives you a break, supports you in your caring role, and/or maintains or improves your own health and wellbeing. For example:

A holiday or weekend break in the UK

Therapies/relaxation or wellbeing sessions, including spa days

College course fees, books or equipment

Gym membership, exercise classes, swimming sessions etc.

An adult education class or training course

Day trips to places of interest or a general day trip.

Social events e.g. to attend a concert, the theatre or the cinema

Purchase of items for an activity or hobby e.g. a tent or a bicycle

A laptop/tablet/mobile phone

Essential goods for the carer ‘s wellbeing i.e. TV for bedroom

Gardening or gardening equipment costs

Beauty treatments e.g. manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials

To apply, you must contact Gateshead Carers Association and complete our Time for ME application form to be returned to us at: Gateshead Carers Association, John Haswell House, 8/9 Gladstone Terrace, Gateshead, NE8 4DY.

Your details will then be entered onto our referral database and one of our Carer Wellbeing Facilitators will contact you to discuss your application. It is important that you read the terms and conditions fully before making your application.

Join other carers to build relationships, connect and support each other in a fun, informal environment. Each week we will be discussing different issues that carers face and how we can change our stories and cope with them on a day to day basis. Building on our own experiences and supporting each other we aim to improve our own wellbeing. Our topics include: Guilt; Stress; Confidence and Protected Time.

Emotional Resilience: Wednesday 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

At John Haswell House. Contact your Carer Wellbeing Facilitator to book your place.

Our carers enjoyed ‘Caring and Sharing’ today at our regular Carers Cafe held at the Watergate cafe, Whickham. Sharon’s delicious homemade scones are always a treat too! We meet there on the first Tuesday of every month.

If you live in or around Birtley why not join us this Thursday for our Birtley Carers Cafe 10.30-12.30 at The Birtley Resource Hub. We meet at Birtley on the second Thursday of every month.

Meet others in a friendly & informal environment over a cuppa & cake! It’s a great way to make new friends, support each other and have a laugh.

Tasty chicken fajitas were on the menu today for Week 1 of our Cookery & Nutrition course held at The Food Nation in Heaton. Our 4 week Cookery Course for carers is proving very popular and we are delighted to be running it again this year. It takes place weekly on a Wednesday 10.30-12 noon are is open to all unpaid adult carers in Gateshead. Get in touch with us if you fancy joining in!

Join other carers to build relationships, connect and support each other in a fun, informal environment. Each week we will be discussing different issues that carers face and how we can change our stories and cope with them on a day to day basis. Building on our own experiences and supporting each other we aim to improve our own wellbeing.

Our first round of sessions focuses on emotional resilience and includes discussions around guilt, stress, confidence and protected time for you. After April we will also be running sessions on Health, Personal Development and Connectivity so watch this space! Starting on Wednesday 17 January, Care to Share will repeat over 3 months so please don’t worry if you miss one, your Carer Wellbeing Faciliator will be able to book you onto the next one.

Emotional Resilience 1
Wednesday 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Guilt January 17th
Stress January 24th
Confidence January 31st
Protected Time February 7th

Emotional Resilience 2
Wednesday 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Guilt February 14th
Stress February 21st
Confidence February 28th
Protected Time March 7th

Emotional Resilience 3
Wednesday 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Guilt March 14th
Stress March 21st
Confidence March 28th
Protected Time April 4th

Gateshead Carers WON the North East Equality Award for small to medium sized organisations at the North East Equality Awards 2017 ceremony held at the Hilton Gateshead on Thursday 19th October 2017.

The charity, which is celebrating its 21st Anniversary this year, was up against some stiff competition in the Small to Medium Sized Organisations category, making the win even more prestigious; FACT , Paul J Watson, 2 Way Tenancy Solutions, Hart Gables, Skills4Work (Gateshead) Ltd, The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company and DISC.

Steve Cowen, CEO of Gateshead Carers, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our equality and diversity demonstrated within our local community. We are committed to turning policy into action and are a charity which aims to make a significant positive difference in the lives of adult carers by efficiently and effectively providing the highest quality personalised, asset / strength based carer support in Gateshead. This is a fantastic achievement.”

A Carer is anyone who cares unpaid for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support. Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age. Many feel they are just doing what anyone else would do in the same situation; looking after their mother, son or best friend and just getting on with it, but without the right support carers may find their own health and wellbeing suffers in the process.

Across the UK it is estimated that 7 Million people provide unpaid care to someone and while the majority accept their caring responsibilities, without the right support the personal cost of caring can be high. There are estimated to be 22,000 carers in Gateshead alone.

At Gateshead Carers, their commitment to equality and diversity is embedded in their approach to engaging with all unpaid adult carers in Gateshead. Their website is now instantly translatable into over 100 languages with 30 of those languages being available in audio. This has helped to establish regular carer support groups for Muslim Men, Muslim women, Chinese, Czech/Roma, Polish, Asylum Seekers and Refugees. They work with carers of 18 different languages and have recently established an Eritrean support group.

This award is the latest of a series of awards and recognitions achieved by Gateshead Carers over the last 18 months: • NE Equality Award • Better Health at Work Gold Award • Centre of Excellence Award for Carer’s Services • Good and Efficient Charity – Endorsement by the Charity Commission • PQASSO Quality Mark Award at Level 2

Steve added: “As CEO I am proud to be part of this organisation, proud of the work we do to support carers and proud of the work every member of my team has done to get us to where we are”.

The Gateshead Carers Survey provides the most comprehensive information on the lives of carers in Gateshead. It was introduced in 2011 and is repeated every 3 years. This being the third survey we are now able to identify trends which are developing over time in key areas of carer’s lives. The 2017 survey also provides an opportunity to develop our understanding of the impact of the Care Act 2015.